Racism in the lesbian community

Sure, there are many injustices in this country. Racism is alive and well. Certain groups of people do get paid less and offered fewer opportunities. Many have come a long way, but do have a ways to go, still. I am not saying to ignore the people who are responsible for all this; that would be stupid. What I am saying is that people need to stop whining about their situation, get together and fight for a better country. Plenty do, but many do not. It's those who do not that I speak of.

How is it that, in some underpriviledged communities, one kid will resist the temptation of gangs, drugs, doing poorly in school, etc. while one of his peers will succumb to them? Same group, same neighborhood, same descrimination, same temptations, different outcomes. I am not imagining this; you read about it, see it on t.v., or (as in my case) you know someone who has pulled himself up. Can everyone in the group do this? I don't know. Probably not, but more need to at least try. Did one kid have better opportunities than the other? Most of the time, no. It comes down to attitude. The successful kid's family may have encouraged him. Or he may have decided he did not want to be a drug dealer at 30 or on welfare with 7 kids by the time he's 26.

What ever happened to our pride, our gumption, our striving to be the best we can be? Sure, there are obstacles, but some people DO NOT EVER EVEN TRY! Maybe it's a lifelong fight, but to either not try, or to try once and give up, is really not an option. Many priviledged Americans (not all of them, however) don't give a damn. Or they want to keep minorities down. They need to be dealt with, but whining is not the way.

In certain groups of people, learning is not encouraged. Matter of fact, being good in school can make a kid a target from others in his own group. That's descrimination within the group, and that needs to be addressed. If a group is to pull itself out of the muck and fight for equality, they must be united, educated, and willing to put in some hard work. Sure, after decades of being pushed down and told they are stupid, it is hard to want to be educated. Education is equated with selling out, with disgracing the group by trying to be better than it, with being a white, priviledged person who holds the group down. Education should, instead, be looked at, not as selling out or being "white", but as being smart, having hope, having a chance at a decent future. The leaders in these communities should (and sometimes have) try to impress upon the youths to better themselves, and education is a start.

I also take issue with certain individuals in minority groups who treat me (or anyone white) like trash. Stop thinking that all white people are out to get you. Many of us are not. Many of us would be pleased to help. If a black man (for example, it could be any minority) treats white people like garbage because he feels that all white people are the cause of his misery, is he not guilty of the same hatred and attitude he is accusing white people of? If you spend your days hating an entire group of people, you are missing the point and wasting your time. Know who the enemy is and target them. Some possible starting points may be: the government, big business, the wealthy, and those from these minority groups who have made it, but ignore their brothers and sisters left on the front lines. Do keep in mind; there are many in these groups I just mentioned who are trying to help. So, don't think they are all out to get you.

It is not an easy battle and many won't make it beyond poverty, but whining does nothing except annoy those around the whiner. You can either whine and wait around for reparations, or you can try to make a life for yourself. Am I saying that certain groups do not deserve reparations? No. I am just saying that it does not seem to be happening anytime soon, and to wait for it is to just throw your life away. Make something of yourself (or at least try), and fight for what you think is owed you. Just sitting around whining will get you nothing.

Maybe I sound harsh, but life is tough and not fair. No one is going to hand you anything just because. I don't live in some dream world; I've had to pull myself out of a hole of shit. Sure, I am white, but I am female and gay. I know it's not quite the same as being black or Latino, or whatever, but there are problems nontheless. There is always some reason why I can't do this or that. There is always someone telling me I can't. I have people (relatives included) who tell me to forget education and just get a job. I don't listen because I want so much more out of life than a dead-end $7/hr job at a fast food place. I know I can make a difference, but that chance will not be coming if I wait for it or expect someone to just give it to me. I gotta go out and get it. Remember: we are gauranteed the pursuit of happiness (not the actual happiness, however), but many of us don't take up that pursuit or let someone take it from us without fighting back. Many feel that they are entitled to sit back and have someone else give them their happiness.

People are trying everyday to improve the system, but it has a long way to go and needs all the help it can get.

For those of you who see just one thing and run with it---I am NOT saying the poor are responsible for their situation. I am saying that if you complain, expect a handout, and do nothing, then you will always remain poor. Many rich don't care about the poor and can't be bothered helping. The poor are not responsible for being poor, but they are responsible for trying to change what keeps them poor. Just as the gay people, as a group, need to get together to fight for equal rights. If we gay people don't do it, who will do it for us? If the poor don't unite and fight, then who will do it for them? We can keep blaming others (rightly or wrongly) for our plight, but that does not change the plight. The ones who have the greatest interest in moving a group forward are those who are part of that group.

A good woman is like a good book: you'll want to get lost in both for hours and be much the wiser for it.

Sure, there are many injustices in this country. Racism is alive and well. Certain groups of people do get paid less and offered fewer opportunities. Many have come a long way, but do have a ways to go, still. I am not saying to ignore the people who are responsible for all this; that would be stupid. What I am saying is that people need to stop whining about their situation, get together and fight for a better country. Plenty do, but many do not. It's those who do not that I speak of.

I don't think you realize that people have been fighting for better opportunities for unprivilleged youth and minorities and majority of the people who are fighting are the ones who live through it everyday, but when no one is listening what more can you do? Are they supposed to go to radical extremes and blow up a government building just to shed some light on their issues? Or should they hold the president hostage until their demands are met? Extreme measures dont have to be taken in order for people to realize that someone is in need of a change. Everytime a child picks up a gun, or a person agrees to sell drugs, or a person drops out of school I see it as a cry for help and that's what it is. For some people the life they have now is the only life they see and it is very hard for them to better themselves when shit is the way it is in this country in regards to minorities. I'd rather hear people whine about their situation then blow something up and injure people just to get their point across.

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What ever happened to our pride, our gumption, our striving to be the best we can be? Sure, there are obstacles, but some people DO NOT EVER EVEN TRY! Maybe it's a lifelong fight, but to either not try, or to try once and give up, is really not an option. Many priviledged Americans (not all of them, however) don't give a damn. Or they want to keep minorities down. They need to be dealt with, but whining is not the way.

In this country it's all about the MPR (Money, Power, Respect) which the white executives of corporate america currently hold the keys to change things. They dont care how much you try because things really are not going to change unless they intiate the change. For a lot of minorities thats the reality. They know they dont hold the keys needed to make a change in this society.

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I also take issue with certain individuals in minority groups who treat me (or anyone white) like trash. Stop thinking that all white people are out to get you.

I encourage you to live the life of a minority in this country or sit down and talk with an elderly minority and ask them how things were when they were kids and how different things are now. I'm sure they'll tell you that the shit really hasn't changed too much.

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Many of us are not. Many of us would be pleased to help. If a black man (for example, it could be any minority) treats white people like garbage because he feels that all white people are the cause of his misery, is he not guilty of the same hatred and attitude he is accusing white people of?

Well I think you just complained about the treatment you received from minorities because you're white. You think it's wrong and you should not be treated that way, right? Well that's how minorites feel. One Black man/woman, or Hispanic man/woman, etc does something wrong and the entire group of people are labeled for that one wrong deed. Only white america is perpetuating their bad deed of racism and hate for all minorities on a daily basis and no one is telling them that they're wrong. I wonder why :roll:

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If you spend your days hating an entire group of people, you are missing the point and wasting your time. Know who the enemy is and target them. Some possible starting points may be: the government, big business, the wealthy, and those from these minority groups who have made it, but ignore their brothers and sisters left on the front lines. Do keep in mind; there are many in these groups I just mentioned who are trying to help. So, don't think they are all out to get you.

I think the day there is a serious change in this country will be the day when racism, sexism, homophobia, and all forms of discrimination and hatred are gone, but I highly doubt that will happen this life time.

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It is not an easy battle and many won't make it beyond poverty, but whining does nothing except annoy those around the whiner. You can either whine and wait around for reparations, or you can try to make a life for yourself. Am I saying that certain groups do not deserve reparations? No. I am just saying that it does not seem to be happening anytime soon, and to wait for it is to just throw your life away. Make something of yourself (or at least try), and fight for what you think is owed you. Just sitting around whining will get you nothing.

Well you're right whining gets you no where, but as you can see taking action gets you no where either. Before you get annoyed by minorities whining around you try to be more understanding because as far as they're concerned you got it made in the shade. You dont have to go through what they do on a daily basis you dont have to deal with indirect or direct discrimination because of the color of your skin. Just be thankful that you're not in their shoes. I think everyone needs to work together for a change, but by all means please do not stop complaining because just maybe the more you complain the sooner someone will get annoyed enough to take action.

Sometimes you stand on the edge of a cliff and you jump. You jump because you're tired of being scared. Sometimes you jump just to feel the fall

Unfortunately, racism seems to cross all geographic, socio-economic, educational, sexual, and gender lines across the board. In fact, since the Equal Opportunity Employment Act established a prefferenc point hiring system, even the government has proved to be prejudicial. Why do national minorityies receive more hiring points than local minorities? This just promotes ghetoization of certain areas. The whole system needs to be zip coded, with the prefference points going to the minority in that neighborhood. Thus, if a black person applies for a job in a predominantly white neighborhood, she would receive the minority points; and if a white applies for a job in a predominantly black neighborhood, she would receive the minority points. That would provide a much more "equal opportunity" hiring system. And what about Jews (less than 1% of the national population, receiving no minority points)? Moslems (less than 3%)? Bahai (less than 1/2%)? What's that all about? Just because religion doesn't show on the skin, ther is no religious minority??? The whole system needs to be re-worked. We need to provide equal education and job preparation, and hire the most qualified person for the job. Truly color-blind hiring practices, based solely on qualifications for the position, will go a long way toward reducing prejudices in both directions!!!!